Everyone loves an impossible maths exam question

[noblegiraffe]

This one, from this year’s KS2 SATs apparently had children in tears and was described as ‘obscene’ by one teacher.

TBH it took me longer than I’d expect a one mark maths question for 10 year olds!

@TeaForDad but the 2 squares have to be different sizes ...

Dad's solution does not have two equal squares at all. Im confused as to why people are saying that

@TeaForDad SORRY. I didn't open the photo properly. Of course you've done it right

Are you talking about his post of 14.59?

The two squares are different sizes - a 5x5, a 2x2 and a 3x2 rectangle.

You weren't the only one to say that though...

Can you have leftover space and squares then if you do 5x5, 2x2, 3x2.

That was why I was confused

I used to help out with year 6 booster classes years ago, but for some reason, I found this one tricky.

I just showed this question to my 9 year old - it took her about 4 seconds to work it out....

This is a maths questions asked to kids (I think in Asia somewhere) that truly baffled me... the answer is so obvious but I had to cheat and Google it

Took me 60-90 seconds but a good chunk of that was spent working on the dilemma you mentioned noblegiraffe - I thought it was two cuts across the whole piece of paper to start with, then realised that would be too many pieces and that it was one cut then another cut. I don't have the kind of brain that instantly sees stuff like this, but I'm old and maths wasn't taught like this when I went to school (I got an A in GCE (not GCSE!) though!).

Knockout - I never got that one u ntil i googled it either...

"woodhill

Can you have leftover space and squares then if you do 5x5, 2x2, 3x2."

What would be left over??

The thing is if it's hard/unusual enough to baffle and confuse adults is it really a fair question for 10 yos?

@Knockout 87?

No googling

It worries me that a one mark question would have kids in tears. Kids should not be feeling that sort of pressure especially just for one mark! My son said he found that maths question ok but if he hadn’t he would just have moved on. Sad state of affairs that teachers and/or parents are putting such pressure on 10 and 11 yr olds

I think the original question was badly worded.

This one is worded more clearly. Easier?

My Y6 says she found it easy, got the answer straight away, and she often gets thrown by reasoning problems in maths. She also got the contraction right.

Definitely easier.

I took about 90 seconds for the first one and less than 5 seconds for the second!

It took me 1 min.

About 30-60s here.
But all the children should have been taught that if it's a 1 mark question and they can't do it, to just move on. No need for tears.
But I do agree it seems tricky for 1 mark under test situation.

(Just like Hannah & her sweets. Didn't phase DD1 at all, she just missed it out and continued.)

That one’s quite like an Only Connect question Knockout.

Surely it’s about exam technique? If a question is worth 1 mark and you are stuck, move on and come back to it at the end if you have time.

Do the cuts have to go right across the page? If not, it seems alright to me but I was always a maths geek 😂

I think you are over thinking it OP (and overly distressed children)